Combined car dumping and coal lowering apparatus



NGV. 1, p1 A E JR COMBINED CAR DUMPING AND COAL LOWERING APPARATUS FiledApril 30, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR FEH/VKPQ/EDEE \Zq ATTORNEY NOV.1, 1932. F, PARDEE, JR 1,886,117

COMBINED CAR DUMPING AND COAL LOWERING APPARATUS Filed April 30, 1931 5Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR fie A/v/r AEDEELk.

BY' 7MP ATTORNEY NOV. 1 1932. PARDEE, JR 1,886,117

COMBINED CAR DUMPING AND COAL LOWERING APPARATUS Filed April 50, 1931 5Sheets-Sheet 3 1/4556 2 {BY ULQI,

ATTORN EYS F. PARDEE. JR

Nov. 1, 1932.

COMBINED CAR DUMPING AND COAL LOWERING APPARATUS Filed April 50, 1931 5Sheets-Sheet 4 lNVENTOR ATTORNEY-5 NQV. 1, 1932. PARDEE, JR 1,886,117

COMBINED CAR DUMPING AND COAL LOWERING APPARATUS Filed April 30, 1931 5Sheets-Sheet 5 I INVENTOR Efi/V/(EQEDEEa/l 75 Mi t ATTORNEYS PatentedNov. 1, 1932 I T 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK PARDEE, 33., orHAZLETON, PENNSYLVANIA COMBINED GAR, DUMIEING AND GOAL LOWERINGAPPARATUS Application filed April 30, 1931. Serial N0. 533,966.

This invention relates to improvements in also made in triangular formso as to better apparatus for handling coal or similar ma accommodatethe mass flowing from a hopterial with a minimum breakage of the lumps.per-bottom car. A hopper of such triangular In the handling of coal forcommercial form provides greater holding capacity oppopurposes, it ishighly desirable to provide apsite the deep part of the hopper-bottomcar 55 paratus which permits transferring a given and this capacitytapers off so that there is load from one point to another without shocka smaller holding capacity for receiving the or sudden drop. In the caseof handling coal, smaller incoming stream of coal from the when the samefalls a great distance it gathshallow parts of the hopper-bottom carwhere ers such velocity that when it comes to rest the holding capacityis comparatively smaller 6 against other lumps there is a strongtendenthan in the center. In this way, a uniform cy to chip pieces offof the contacting lumps. gradual piling action is secured as the ma-This results in the undesirable production of terial is transferred fromthe coal car to the small particles known to the trade as fines. hopper.

These fines have little or no sale value. The These and other featuresof the invention smaller amount of fines in a given amount will be morefully apparent from the folof coal, the greater the sale value thereof.lowing specification when read in connec In discharging coal fromrailway coal cars, tion with the accompanying drawings, in it hassometimes been the practice to release which the coal from the bottom ofhopper-bottom Fig. 1 is an elevation illustrating coal cars permittingit to fall directly between handling apparatus embodying the inventherailway ties into a pin below. Besides tion; being a slow operation,this results in 0011- Fig. 2 is a view in elevation from the rightsiderable breakage and also requires that coal side of Fig. 1; r

25 which accumulates on top of the ties be Fig. 3 is a'horizontalsection on line 33 shoveled off. of Fig. 2; A

My improved coal handling apparatus pro- Fig. 4 is a view in verticalsection taken vides means whereby the contents'of a coal substantiallyon the line H of Fig. 3; car can be gently and quickly transferred toFigs. 5, 6 and 7 are sectional elevations f ahopper with aminimumproduction of fines, illustrating successive positions assumed by andfrom this hopper the material can be a vertically movable retaining wallof the gently lowered for a considerable distance hopper and anassociated car dtunping either to a storage bin, to a barge, steamshipcradle;

H or the like. As will be more fully described, Fig. 8 is a. detailsection of means for the apparatus includes improved means for clampinga car to a car-dumping cradle;

gradually tilting the'coal car so as to trans- A Fig. 9 is a detail viewof an alternative fer the contents thereof into a hopper. This means forclamping the car to the dumping hopper is of novel form and is soarranged cradle;

n that at the start of the tilting operation, the Fig. 10 is afragmentary detail of the fleximaterial enters near the bottom and asthe ble lowering chute shown in Fig. 1. tilting proceeds, the holdingcapacity of the Referring in detail to the drawings, the hopper isgradually increased to accommoapparatus consists briefly of a cradle Awhich date the incoming coal. Thus the load is prois adapted to have acoal car B clamped F gressively transferred from the coal car to theretoso as to hold it against shifting when F the hopper, the zone of entryof the incomthe cradle is tilted. The cradle is fulcrumed ing materialprogressively mounting higher or hingedly connected to a verticallymovaand higher asa transfer from the car to the ble member C forming aretaining wall of a hopper is effected. In addition to having a hopper,indicated as a whole at D. In its movable wall for gradually increasingthe starting position, the upper edge of the re- 56 holding capacity ofthe hopper, the latter is ta ning wall C is disposed in a plane'near the109 ally elevated, thus the carrying capacity Or bottom part of thehopper and as the hopper is filled up due to the dumping of the car inthe cradle, the retaining wall C is gradu;

the hopper increases as the tilting movement of the cradle progresses.

The hopper has pivotally secured thereto discharge chutes E and F, eachof which is ada ted to be swung to different angular positions so as todistribute the material within the vessel or other vehicle into whichthe hoppers discharge. The discharge chutes E and F are of extensibletelescopic form including extens ble sections 6 and f whichtelescopically engage part of the chute which is pivoted to the hopper.Flexible zig-zag chutes G and H are adj ustably mounted on the ends oftelescopic extensions e and f of the discharge chutes. The zig-zagchutes G and H are each formed of a multiplicity of pivotally connectedsections having oppositely inclined runway portions as will hereinaftermore fully appear. The material discharged from the zig-zag sections isgently lowered, for example, into the holdof a barge or ship, such asindicated conventionally in the drawings at J.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the car dumping and coalhandling apparatus is mounted on a. dock or wharf so that barges orsimilar craft can be readily loaded with coal coming in on coal cars.

The coal cars are run to discharging position over a trestle 10, betweenthe ends 12 and 14 of which the cradle A is located so that the cars canbe run from one part of the trestle onto the cradle and then after beingdumped they can be run out on the other part of the trestle.

The car dumping cradle carries track rails 16 which are al gned with therails on the trestle. When the car is run onto the tracks on the cradleit is adapted to be clamped so that when the cradle is tilted the carwill not shift relatively to the cradle. Various locking means may beprovided for this purpose. In Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive means for clampingthe car on the cradle includes the hydraulic jack 18 which is adapted toelevate a platform 20 which carries the tics and the cradle rails 16.The cradle has secured thereto a pair of uprights 22 to which aresecured transversely extending cross bars 2-1. As'thus arranged, whenthe car is run under the cross bars 24 and the platform 20 is elevated bthe hydraulic jack, the car will be clampe to the cradle. The uprights22 are secured to a bottom frame 26 of the cradle, and this bottom framealso supports the hydraulic jack 18.

The side of the cradle adjacent the hopper includes a plate 28 which ishinged or fulcrumed at 30 to the vertically movable retainin wall C ofthe hopper. This retaining we! ('5 is slidingly supported in guides 32is a;

secured to spaced uprights 34, which serve as supports for the hopper D.

For lifting and tilting the cradle, I employ winch mechanism includingtwo drums 36 carried on a shaft 37. Each drum 36 has one end of a cable38 secured thereto. Each cable extends upwardly from the drum 36 thenceover guidesheaves 40 and 4-2 secured to suitable fixed bracketssupported from the uprights 34 and the tower-like frame members 44. Eachcable 38 passes from the guide sheave 42 then downwardly around sheaves46 and 48 carried by the cradle. From the sheave 48, the cable 38extends upwardly and is secured to a fixed anchorage as at 50. With thedescribed cable arrangement, it will be noted that the weight of thecradle and parts carried thereby are supported in the bight of the cableby the sheaves 46 and 48. As the winch mechanism is rotated to wind upthe cable, the cradle will swing outwardly about its fulcrumpoint- 30,for example, from the position of Fig. 1 to that of Fig. 5.

Further pull on the cable is adapted to continue the swinging or tiltingmovement of the cradle and also to lift it bodily. This combined liftingand tilting movement is secured by transmitting a lifting action througha connection to now be described. Near each end of the cradle 28, acable 52 is secured to an anchorage 54. From the anchorage on thecradle, the cable 54 eX- tends downwardly and around a sheave 56 whichis mounted adjacent the lower edge of the vertically movable retainingwall C. From the sheave 56, the cable extends upwardly and over a sheave58 mounted on a fixed support and to the free end of the cable issecured a counterweight 60. \Vhen the parts are in the position of 1prior to lifting or prior to starting the tilting movement of thecradle, the counterweight 6O hangs down a considerable distance belowthe sheave 58. As the cradle is rocked or tilted about its fulcrum 30from the position of Fig. 1 to the position of Fig. 5, the arcuatemovement of the anchorage 54 takes up the slack in the cable 52 liftingthe counter weight from the lower position of Fig. 1 to the higherposition of Fig. 5, without exerting any lifting action on thevertically adjustable retaining wall C. But, after the slack in thecable is taken up the counterweight strikes a fixed stop whereuponturther pull on the cable 52 exerts an upwardly acting force on themovable retaining wall C. This is apparent by comparing the relativepositions of the sheave 56 secured to the bottom of the wall member C in5 and 6 it being clear that as the tilting morement of the cradlecontinues the retaining wall C will lift higher and higher. Fig. 6illustrates the approximate relative position of the parts after thecradle has been swung from its normal car receiving position through anangle of approximately 90 degrees.

Con inued operation of the winch mechanism will continue to pull on thecables 38, thus continuing to reel: the cradle about its fulcrum 30 soas to practically invert the car carried by the cradle, thus moving theparts to the position shown in 7. It is noted in this figure that theretaining wall C has been lifed practically to the top of the hopper.The retaining wall C referred to, in reality forms one side of thehopper and the carrying capacity of the hopper is determined by the heigit of this movable retaining wall.

With such an arrangement, the hopper D is filled progressively from thebottom up. At the start of the car du." ping operation, the coal orother 111i terial flows slowly from the top of the coal car B at gentleangle into the bottom part of the hopper, as indicated graphically in 5.This gradually dumped material falls gently on plates 62 and theinclined hopper bottoms 6%. its these fill up, the material flowsthrough the restricted outlets 66 into the telescopic discharge chutes Eand F. As the tilting movement of the cradle continues, the car islifted higher and higher, thus the coal or other material handled isgradually transferred from the car to the hopper, the wall C mean whilebeing elevated so as to increase the carrying or holding capacity of thehopper 3 so as to accommodate the pile accumulating therein as it mountshigher and higher. In this way, the material in its transfer from thecar into the hopper travels a very short distance the transfer iseffected with an ergtremely gentle and smooth action, thus formity ofthe lump product.

After the cradle and car has been moved to the position of Fig. 7, therotation of the winding drum will be reversed. lhis will permit thecradle to rock toward the position of Fig. 6. And as the slack cable ispaid off the cradle will gradually swing to horizontal position.Continued paying 0% of the cable will permit the vertically movable wallC to gradually descend. It will be understood that as the cradle isrocking from the position of Fig. 7 toward the position of Fig. 6, thatthe coal will meanwhile be flowing out of the hopper through thedischarge chutes. And by the time the parts have been restored to thestarting position of Fig. 1, the hopper will have been emptied. Thus, asthe cradle reaches this position, it is ready to receive another car ofmaterial to be dumped.

The material flowing from the restricted outlets of the hopper D passesthrough the adjustable telescopic chutes E and F. From the end of thesechutes, the coal is gently lowered by means of flexible zig-zag chutesGr which depend from the ends of the telescopic chutes. Each flexiblezig-Zag chute G is of substantially the same construction and adescription of one will sufiice for both. Each chute (Fig. 10) consistsof a multiplicity of separate sections 68 which are pivotally connectedwith one another at 70. Each section includes the oppositely inclinedrunway portions ?2 and 74 over which the coal travels in its gradualdescent to the barge or other vessel. The sections 68 carry rollers 7 6which are adapted to slide on a guide track 78 secured at each slide tothe lower section of the telescopic chute e'and f. For adjusting theeffective length of the flexible zig-zag chute the winch 80 is providedand this is connected by means of a flexible cable 82 with the uppermostsection of the flexible chute G. In this way, it will be understood thatadjustment may be secured so as to compensate for filling barges at highand low tide or the adjustable chute may be taken up as the pile mountshigher in the barge. It will also be understood that by swinging thechutes E and F about their swivel mountings on the bottom of the hopperand also by telescoping the sections e and f that the ultimate dischargepoint of the material may be varied at will. For counter-balancing thetelescopic chutes E and F and the parts carried thereby, 1 preferablyprovide cables 8d which pass over guide sheaves 86 and havecounterweights 88 secured to their free ends.

The hopper D is preferably of substantially triangular form in plan, asindicated in Fig. 3, the diverging sides 90 and 92 thereof meeting at apoint 96 which is approximately opposite the center of the verticallymovable retaining wall G. This form of hopper is of peculiar advantagewhen used to receive material dumped from standard forms of coal carssuch as so-called hopper bottom cars frequently used. Such cars aredeeper in the central portion than at the ends. And by providing asubstantially triangular-shaped bin an increased carrying capacity issecured in the central part of the hopper to accommodate the greateramount of material coming from the central partof the car. In otherwords, in dumping a car which is deeper in the center than at the ends,I secure a greater uniformity of piling action in the hopper by soshaping the latter that its capacity at the center is greater than thatat its ends. Such a shaped hopper is of peculiar importance incombination with a car dumping cradle of the kind of bin above referredto and also in combination with such a cradle and a vertically removableretaining wall because during the transfer of coal or other materialfrom the car to the hopper,

the mass is supported or confined jointly by the triangular hopper, theadjustable retaining wall and the tilted car carried by the cradle. Bythe joint action of all of these instrumentalities an extremely smoothand entle transfer of the mass from the car to the hopper is efiected.See Figs. to 7. Instead of clamping the car to the cradle by means ofthe vertically adjustable platcarried by the cradle.

form illustrated in Fig. 2, which forces the car against the upper crossbar 24:, I may em loy swingable hook-like members 98 Such means isillustrated in Fig. 9 wherein an upright member of the cradle indicatedat 106 has an overhanging portion 108. In this form, the cradle carriesa laterally adjustable member 110 which is adapted to be forced towardthe member 106 by means of a suit able jack screw 112. The member 110has an upward extension 113 and an overhanging portion 115 adapted to beengaged with the top of the car. The member 106 also carries jacks 114by means of which the platform 116 can be elevated so as to clamp thecar between the laterally adjustable member 110 and the overhangingmembers 108 and 115. In this arrangement, the upright member 106 will belocated adjacent the vertically adjustable retaining wall C of thehopper.

The urpose of the lateral adjustment is to provide for a certain amountof leeway in the lateral spacing between the track rails and the face ofthe hopper. lVith such lateral adjustment, the rails need not be catedso close to the side of the adjustable member C as otherwise. In short,by providing for some lateral adjustment, the rails on the trestle canbe located transversely a little further away from the vertical plane ofthe member C and the position. which the rails 16 on the cradle willoccupy when the car is to be clamped thereon.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the typical cradle isshown as hingedly fulcrumed to the vertically adjustable wall member C.It is to be understood, however, that I am not limited to suchconstruction,

nor am I limited to the particular means ;hown whereby the tiltingmovement of the cradle is synchronized with the vertical movement of thewall C. It is also contemplated that the device can be so made that thetilting movement of the cradle can bc effected by one mechanism and thevertical movement of the movable wall C can be effected by a separateoperating mechanism, the two operating mechanisms, however, beingsynchronized so that as the tilting movement of the cradle progressesthe vertical movement of the wall C will move in timed relation thereto.For accomplishing this, one motor driven mechanism may be utilized fortilting the cradle and other mechanism synchronized therewith will beprovided for effecting the vertical movements of the member C. In suchan arrangement, the cradle need not necessarily be hinged 0r fulcrumedto the member C, the important point being that as the cradle tilts todump its load the member C moves up in timed relation therewith toincrease the carrying capacity of the hopper.

While I have described quite specifically the structural arrangement andoperating mechanism of a preferred embodiment of the invention, it isnot to be construed that I am limited thereto since variousmodifications and substitutions of equivalents may be made by thoseskilled in the art without departing from the invention as defined inthe appended claims.

What I claim is 1. An apparatus of the character described comprising ahopper having a movable retaining wall, movable means for dumpingmaterial into the hopper and means for automatically moving said wall toprogressively increase the holding capacity of the hopper as the dumpingmovement of said dumping means proceeds.

2. An apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper, amovable car dumping cradle and retaining means operatively associatedwith the hopper responsive to movements of the cradle for increasing theholding capacity of the hopper.

3. An apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper, tiltablemeans for dumping material into the hopper and means operativelyassociated with the hopper for automatically increasing the holdingcapacity of the hopper upon movement of said tiltable means.

4. An apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper having amovable rctaining wall, tiltable means for dumping material into thehopper and means for synchronizing the movements of said wall and saidtiltable means.

5. An apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper having avertically movable retaining wall, a tiltable car supporting cradleoperatively associated therewith, and means for synchronouslytiltingilsaid cradle and elevating said retaining wa 6. An apparatus ofthe character described comprising a hopper having a vertically movableretaining wall, a tiltable car supporting cradle operatively associatedtherewith, means for lifting and tilting the cradle and means effectiveto start elevating said wall after the cradle has tilted to apredetermined angle.

7 An apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper having onewall thereof movable, a car supporting cradle fulcrumed to said wall,means efiective to first tilt the cradle without moving the wall andsubsequently to simultaneously continue tne tilting movement whileelevating said wall.

8. An apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper, one wallof which is slidable relatively to other parts of the hopper, a carsupporting cradle fulcrumed adjacent the upper extremity of said wall,and means for successively tilting the cradle about its fulcrum andelevating said wall while continuing the tilting movement of the cradle.

9. Coal handling apparatus of the character described comprising ahopper adapted to receive a car load of coal or similar lump material atthe top, a movable member for varying the capacity of the hopper, 'arestricted outlet for slowly discharging the contents of the hopper, acar holding cradle, means for tilting and lifting the cradle andelevating said member whereby the zone at which the material enters thehopper mounts higher and higher as the dumping movement of the cradleproceeds.

10. An apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper having avertically movable retaining wall, a car supporting cradle connectedthereto with freedom for relative tilting movement, a flexible memberpassing over guides and having one end secured to a fixed support andanother end engaging a winding drum, means carried by said cradleengaging the bight of said flexible member, and connecting means betweensaid cradle and said wall efiective to elevate said wall.

11. An apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper having amovable member whereby its capacity can be varied, a car dumping deviceand means responsive to movements thereof for actuating said movablemember.

12. A combined car dumping and coal lowering apparatus comprising ahopper having a movable retaining wall, a car dumping cradle, means forautomatically elevating said wall as the cradle dumps the contents ofthe car into the hopper, a discharge chute receiving material from thehopper and a lowering device secured to the chute and including aplurality of pivotally connected sections having oppositely inclinedrunway portions.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 including means for pivotally securing thedischarge chute to the hopper.

14:. The apparatus of claim 12 including means for counterba-lancing theweight of the discharge chute and the lowering device.

15. A combined car dumping and coal lowering apparatus comprising ahopper having a movable retaining wall, a car dumping cradle, meanswhose movements are synchronized with those of the cradle forautomatically elevating said wall as the cradle dumps the contents ofthe car into the hopper, and an extensible discharge chute receivingmaterial from said hopper.

16. A combined car dumping and coal lowerin apparatus comprising ahopper having movable retaining wall, a car dumping cradle, means forautomatically elevating said wall as the cradle dumps the contents ofthe car into the hopper and an adjustable discharge chute movablysecured to said hopper.

17. An apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper having avertically movable retaining wall, a car holding cradle hingedlyconnected with said wall, means adapted to clamp a car to said cradleandmeans for tilting the cradle and elevating said wall.

18. Goal handling apparatus of the character described comprising ahopper which in plan view is substantially triangular, a 95 movable wallfor said hopper which makes an angle less than a right angle with theopposite walls of the hopper, a car holding cradle adapted to have acoal car clamped thereto and means for tilting said cradle and 100elevating the movable wall.

19. An apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper shapedsubstantially triangular in plan so that its holding capacity at thecenter is greater than at its 105 ends, said hopper having a verticallymovable retainingwall whereby its capacity can be varied and means fordumping a car load of material into the hopper from the side thereofadjacent said retaining wall.

20. An apparatus of the character described comprising an upright hoppershaped substantially triangular in plan so that its holding capacity atthe center is greater than at its ends, said hopper having a vertically115 movable retaining wall, whereby its capacity can be varied and avertically movable and tiltable car dumping cradle having a portionhingedly connected with said retaining wall.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

FRANK PARDEE, JR.

